Native American Patients Are Sent to Collections for Debts the Government Owes
Federal law says Native Americans aren’t liable for medical bills the Indian Health Service promises to pay. Some are billed anyway as a result of backlogs or mistakes from the agency, financial middlemen, or health systems.
In Montana, Conservative Groups See Chance To Kill Medicaid Expansion
Conservative groups are working to undermine support for Montana’s Medicaid expansion ahead of a political fight over whether to keep the program.
Deadly High Blood Pressure During Pregnancy Is on the Rise
More pregnant women are being diagnosed with dangerously high blood pressure, which risks the life of the parent and child. Montana is one of the states improving screening and treatment as health facilities work to match care with best practices.
Patients Suffer When Indian Health Service Doesn’t Pay for Outside Care
The Indian Health Service has a program that can pay for outside appointments when patients need care not offered at agency-funded sites. Critics say money shortages, complex rules, and administrative fumbles often block access, however.
Montana Looks To Become Latest State To Boost Nonprofit Hospital Oversight
Montana’s proposal to increase oversight is part of a national trend by states to ensure nonprofit hospitals act as charitable organizations as they claim tax-exempt status. But the state has yet to set standards for how much the hospitals must do.
Safety-Net Health Clinics Cut Services and Staff Amid Medicaid ‘Unwinding’
One of Montana’s largest safety-net health centers announced it will lay off nearly 10% of its workforce because of revenue losses it attributes to vast Medicaid disenrollments. Such cuts are happening elsewhere too.
Sign Here? Financial Agreements May Leave Doctors in the Driver’s Seat
Agreeing to an out-of-network doctor’s own financial policy — which generally protects their ability to get paid and may be littered with confusing insurance and legal jargon — can create a binding contract that leaves a patient owing.
Health Care Workers Push for Their Own Confidential Mental Health Treatment
Montana may join about a dozen other states in creating “safe havens” that keep health care professionals from facing scrutiny from licensure boards for seeking mental health or addiction treatment.
Congressman Off-Base in Ad Claiming Fauci Shipped Covid to Montana Before the Pandemic
Facts don’t support claims by a likely Republican Senate candidate that a federal research laboratory in Montana infected bats with a coronavirus from China before the covid-19 outbreak.
Medicaid ‘Unwinding’ Makes Other Public Assistance Harder to Get
The bottleneck caused by states’ reevaluation of Medicaid enrollees has swept up low-income families that rely on other safety-net services.